Method of Packaging a Continuous Length of Product on a Spool using Indexed Layers

ABSTRACT

A method is provided for packaging a continuous thread of a woven material or finished product, such as an absorbent food pad, onto a spool, spindle, or other large roll in indexed layers forming rows, for efficient loading and unloading of the product from the spool. A finished spool formed by rows of indexed layers of a continuous thread of the product is also provided.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/601,554, filed Feb. 21, 2012, and the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 61/644,374, filed May 8, 2012.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

1. Field of Disclosure

The present disclosure relates to a method of packaging a continuouslength of a product on a spool by indexing the layers as wrapped aroundthe spool to be slightly offset from (and partially overlap) theprevious layer. The product, such as an absorbent food pad, is woundaround the circumference of the spool to form rows of indexed layersalong the axial extent of the spool.

2. Description of Related Art

Continuous lengths of a woven material or of a finished product can bepackaged by winding the material or product on to a large roll forstorage, shipping, and use by an end-user.

However, conventional packaging techniques for a continuous thread ofmaterial or of a finished product often produces a package that isspace-consuming, inconvenient to ship, and difficult to dispense by theend-user. Also, conventional packaging of a continuous thread of aproduct often must be dispensed at low production speeds to avoiddamaging the product that does not easily separate from the underlyinglayer.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

A method is provided for efficiently packaging a continuous thread of awoven material or a finished product onto a spool, spindle, or otherlarge roll by using “indexed” layers. This method also provides afinished spool that permits an end-user to dispense the continuousthread of material or product as a feeder source for a machine orproduction line.

The “indexed” layers and rows are formed by wrapping each layer ofproduct onto the spool so that the layer is offset (i.e., shifted asmall distance) in relation to the previous wrapped layer, so that eachlayer partially, but not completely, overlaps the previous, adjacentlayer, in a direction along the axial extent of the spool.

When the leading edge of the material or product being wrapped aroundthe spool reaches an edge of the spool to form an entire row of indexedlayers, the direction is reversed so that the wrapping proceeds in theopposite direction along the axial extent of the spool to form a secondrow of indexed (wrapped) layers, until the leading edge reaches theopposite edge of the spool, at which time the wrapping of indexinglayers reverses again and proceeds in the direction of the first row.The process repeats, back-and-forth, forming rows of indexed layersuntil the desired amount of material or finished product is loaded ontothe spool.

The indexed layers provide more air pockets between layers of materialor product for easy release during dispensing as compared withconventional packaging. Offsetting the layers as they are wrapped on thespool reduces material-on-material friction, and makes the product morecompressible on the spool, so that the product is easily wrapped ontothe spool, and easily dispensed (released) from the finished spool,since each of the indexed layers form a natural plane of separation fromthe layer immediately below.

The present disclosure also includes a finished spool that has beenprepared with indexed layers of the material or finished product.

A guide can be used to help direct the material or product onto thespool in offsetting layers, so that each layer partially, but notcompletely, overlaps the previous layer. The extent of the overlapbetween adjacent layers (the index distance) can be selected based onthe type of product that is being wound onto the spool, itsthickness/stiffness, and the total amount of product that needs to beloaded. The index distance can be identical for all layers and rows, orcan vary, as long as there is partial overlap of adjacent layers.

The method permits the amount of a continuous thread of a product to betailored to specific run lengths that are customized for the end-user'sneeds. As an example, the total number of absorbent food pads that arewound onto a spool as a continuous thread can be tailored to accommodatethe production machinery of a given customer/end-user. As a furtherbenefit to the end-user, the duration of continuous feed can be extendedby splicing the tail of the product on one spool to the head of theproduct on the next spool, to reduce the set-up time and minimizeinterruption of the production line.

Another advantage of the present method is that large amounts of acontinuous thread of material or finished product can be packaged forstorage and transport without a using a box or other large container. Abox or other container is space-consuming on a production floor, and canbe susceptible to collapse of the stacks of product within because ofuneven weight distribution when a portion of product has been loaded ordispensed.

The present method also maximizes the amount of the woven material orfinished product that can be wound about the circumference of the spool.

Another advantage is that shipping of the finished spool is easy andlow-cost, since little packing material is needed to safely move theproduct.

Also provided is a floor-mounted, roll-away floor fixture on which tomount a spool of the present disclosure, to mitigate the weight problem,particularly if the spool were mounted away from the machine. The use ofa floor-mounted, roll-away floor fixture can be integrated into themethod, and/or is a separate product.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic that illustrates an exemplary embodiment of themethod of the present disclosure whereby a continuous thread of productis wound around a spool in indexed layers to form a finished spool.

FIG. 2 is a schematic that illustrates the exemplary embodiment of FIG.1, in which material is guided onto a spool (core) by an indexing headthat moves side-to-side as the method lays down rows of indexed layersacross the axial extent of the spool, to produce a finished spool.

FIG. 3 is a photograph of the start of an exemplary embodiment of FIG.1, showing the first wrap (layer) of the first row of absorbent foodpads around a spool.

FIG. 4 is a photograph of the continuing process in FIG. 3 showing thefourth wrap (layer) of the first row of absorbent food pads is woundonto the spool, showing the partial overlap of each wrapped layer on theprevious layer.

FIG. 5 is a photograph of the process in FIG. 4, further continuingafter multiple wraps (layers) of absorbent food pads are wound onto thespool in indexed layers to complete a first row of indexed layers of theproduct.

FIG. 6 is a photograph of the process in FIG. 1, after completion of thefirst row of indexed layers of absorbent food pads, further continuingin the reverse direction for wrapping the second row of absorbent foodpads along an axial extent on top of the first row of material, in theopposite direction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

Referring to the figures, and in particular, FIGS. 1 to 6, there isprovided a method for packaging a continuous thread of a material or afinished product onto a spool using rows of “indexed” layers of thematerial or finished product (herein referenced collectively as the“product”). Each layer of the product that is wrapped around the spoolis slightly offset or shifted (i.e., “indexed”) a certain distance inrelation to the previous layer of product, so as to partially, but notcompletely, overlap the previous layer. The indexed layer continuesacross an axial extent of the spool until it reaches one end of thespool to complete a first row of indexed layers, after which thedirection of winding is reversed. The process continues in the oppositedirection, until the other end is reached to complete a second row ofindexed layers of the product. The direction of winding is reversedagain, to wrap a third row of indexed layers across an axial extent ofthe spool in the same direction as the first row, and so on, until thedesired amount of the product in indexed layers/rows is loaded onto thespool, thereby forming a “finished spool” or “loaded spool.” Thefinished spool is then removed for storage and shipping to anend-user/customer, who can dispense the product off of the finishedspool as a feeder source for a continuous production line.

This present “spooling” method using indexed layers and rows that arewrapped around a spool provides efficient loading of a continuous lengthof a product, and also provides efficient continuous dispensing of theproduct by the end-user for a machine or production line.

The present disclosure also provides a finished spool that is wrappedwith a continuous thread of a product or material in indexed layers thatform one or more indexed rows that each extend across an axial extent ofthe spool. The finished spool can be a desired height, weight, diameter,and/or number of individual products in the continuous thread that iswrapped around the spool.

As used herein, a “spool” is a hollow cylindrical structure around whicha product can be wound. The ends of the spool are typically unflanged,but can be low-flanged, or even high-flanged, at one or both ends tohelp prevent the product from slipping off the spool. As used herein,“spool,” “core,” “tube,” “cylinder,” “spindle,” and “reel” are usedinterchangeably.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the present methodof packaging a continuous length of a product onto a spool 10. In thisembodiment, the product is a continuous thread of absorbent food pads 30being fed from a feeder roll 40, also called an infeed roll or sourceroll, onto spool 10 by a dispensing device (not shown), also called adispensing machine or dispensing apparatus. The absorbent food pads arepassed over a guide 20, also called an indexing head or linear actuator,which uses movement from side-to-side to direct absorbent food pads 30onto spool 10 in indexed (offset) layers that are each indexed a presetdistance from the immediately previous layer. In this exemplaryembodiment, absorbent food pads 30 are wrapped around spool 10 in afirst row of indexed layers moving from left to right, each layer beingslightly offset from, and partially overlapping, the previous (adjacent)layer.

When the leading edge of a layer approaches or reaches the right end ofspool 10, guide 20 reverses the direction of dispensing the product, sothat the product is wrapped in layers that are indexed along a rowextending along the axial extent of the spool from right-to-left, toform a second row on top of the first row, until the left end of thespool is reached. Guide 20 then reverses the direction that the productis wrapped in indexed layers to go back in the original direction (inthis instance, left-to-right), to form a third row on top of the secondrow. As this process is repeated, the indexed layers of product build ontop of each other to form a spool with a plurality of rows of indexedlayers that gradually enlarges in diameter, with a single, continuousthread of product. This process continues until the desired total amountof the product is wound onto the spool in indexed layers and horizontalrows, thereby forming a “finished spool.”

In FIG. 2, the position of guide 20 (indexing head or linear actuator)is shown at three different positions in time—guiding the product ontospool 10 (1) near the left end of the spool, (2) approximately themiddle of spool 10, and (3) near the right end of spool 10. This furtherillustrates loading the product by movement of the guide that directsthe wrapping of layers back-and-forth across the spool.

The index distance, which is the distance that one layer is offset fromthe previous layer, can be the same between each layer, but does notneed to be the same, as long as the two adjacent layers partiallyoverlap, but do not completely overlap. The index distance can becreated by moving “infeed” (source) roll 40, by moving guide 20, or bymoving spool 10, and/or by any combinations thereof.

As shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 6, a removable hollow spool is slid over aspinnable shaft, so that the product is wrapped around the removablespool. In this exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 3 to 6, the removable spoolis a cardboard spool. Once the spool is wrapped with rows of indexedlayers of the product, the spool is “finished” and removed from theaxial shaft and is the “core” of the shippable product. The spool isanalogous to the inner cardboard tube in the center of a roll of papertowels, but has a larger diameter and circumference so that the core canhold a large, continuous thread of the product. Alternatively, theremovable spool can be made of plastic or any other material that can beshaped into a hollow cylindrical structure around which the product canbe wrapped. When the finished spool is shipped and then received by theend-user, the process can be reversed to dispense the product to use tofeed a production line. For example, the spool is mounted on an axialshaft by the end user, who draws off the product in a continuous threadto feed the material to the production line. In some instances, thecontinuous thread of product will be cut by the end user to separate theindividual products (such as individual absorbent food pads) to beinserted into individual food trays.

Several stages of the wrapping process are illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 6.In FIG. 3, the first and second wraps of an absorbent food pad around acardboard spool (core) is shown. The process continues in FIG. 4, wherefour offsetting (indexed) layers of the absorbent food pads are wrappedaround the spool. Each of the layers partially, but does not completely,overlap the previous, adjacent layer. As shown in FIG. 4, the indexdistance does not need to be identical for every pair of indexed layersin order for the method to operate efficiently. The process continues inFIG. 5, which shows multiple indexed layers that are wrapped around thecircumference of the spool to form a complete first row of the product.At this point, after completion of the first row, the direction isreversed, and the indexing proceeds in the opposite (reciprocal)direction along the axial extent of the spool, as shown in FIG. 6, toform a second row of indexed layers of product. Each layer of product inthe second row is indexed on the opposite side in relation to the layersin the first row. Continuing the process, a third row (not shown) ofindexed layers of product can be wound around the circumference of thespool on top of the second row, such that the indexed layers of thethird row are offset in the opposite direction in relation to the secondrow, but are in the same direction as the first row.

This process can be repeated for a fourth row, fifth row, sixth row, andso on, so that there is a plurality of rows of indexed layers of theproduct wrapped around the finished spool. In this way, the finishedspool can hold a single, continuous length of the finished product,which is stored and/or shipped to an end-user.

The indexed layers that form horizontal on the spool provide stabilityand safety while the product is being loaded onto the spool, as well aslater, when the product is dispensed from the spool by the end-user.Because the loading and dispensing of the present method proceedspreferably evenly, back-and-forth, across the axial extent of the spool,the overall weight distribution of the product remaining on the spool ismore balanced and stable as compared to a spool that loaded byconventional (non-indexed) techniques, where a partially loaded (orpartially unloaded) spool would be unbalanced.

Although the aforementioned illustrations show a spool that is loaded bymachine, the product could also be loaded onto the spool, and/ordispensed from the spool, by hand.

Further steps may be used to increase the amounts of the material orfinished product wound around the spool. To help anchor first layer ofproduct to the spool, a portion of the first layer can be fastened oradhered to the spool with a fastener such as, but not limited to, glue,tape, and hook-and-eye devices such as VELCRO®.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, and particularly in FIGS. 3 to 6, each layerof material is offset or displaced in relation to the previous layer byan index distance. The index distance can also be selected based on thedimensions and physical characteristics of the product (see below) thatis being wound onto the spool. In an exemplary embodiment, indexdistance is about one inch (1″); however, the index distance can be anyamount or distance that is less than an extent (usually width) of theproduct, so there is a partial, but not total, overlap of product in twoadjacent layers. Typically, the index distance can be from aboutfive-hundredths of an inch (0.05″) to about 10 inches (10″). Preferably,the index distance is from about one-tenth of an inch (0.10″) to aboutfive inches (5″), and more preferably from about one-fifth of an inch(0.20″) to about 2 inches (2″). The index distance can be identicalbetween adjacent layers, or can vary between successive layers. When nota uniform amount, index distance can vary according to a fixed ratioamong layers, or can vary randomly. The physical characteristics of thematerial or product, such as its thickness, stiffness, and coefficientof friction can affect the selection of the index distance betweenlayers.

The diameter of the continuous thread of the product that is loaded ontothe finished spool can be tailored to a particular end-user's productionrequirements. Large-diameter spools (i.e., with a large amount ofproduct) reduce the number of set-ups for the end-user. However, theseadditional amounts have to balanced against the increased weight of thefinished spool. A non-limiting example is an end-user who is a food trayassembler. The food tray assembler uses the continuous thread ofabsorbent food pads that are fed from a finished spool of the presentdisclosure to cut into individual pads, and then to load an individualabsorbent food pad into each food tray.

An exemplary embodiment of a spool used in the present method is a spoolthat is about 4 to 6 times as wide across its axial extent as theindividual product is wide. For instance, if the product being loadedonto the spool is an absorbent food pad that is about 4 inches acrossand in an uncut continuous thread, the spool could be about 16″ acrossits axial extent. However, depending on the product and strength of thecore, and how tightly-indexed the layers of product (i.e., a small indexdistance between each layer wrapped around the spool), a spool that is 2to 20 times as wide across its axial extent as the individual product iswide can be used with this method.

The dispensing device is a machine or apparatus that can transfer acontinuous thread of a product from an external storage source, such asa feeder roll, onto the spool. An example of a dispensing deviceincludes, but is not limited to, a gantry. The guide disclosed above maybe integral to, or may be separate from, the dispensing device. Thedispensing device can move lengthwise along the lengthwise extent of thespool to dispense the product onto the spool. When the product reachesone end of the spool, completing a horizontal row, the dispensing devicecan reverse direction to start dispensing the next horizontal row of theproduct onto the spool in indexed layers.

The index distance between adjacent layers can be formed by moving thedispensing device, or by moving the guide, or by moving the spool, or byany combination thereof. An advantage of creating the index distance(offset) among layers by moving the dispensing device and/or guide isthat the dispensing device and the guide may be lighter (or at least area consistent weight) and more maneuverable than the spool, which canvary considerably in weight as the spool fills. However, the combinationof movements of the dispensing device, guide, and/or spool can beselected by the machine operator based on the physical characteristicsof the continuous thread of product that is being loaded onto the spool,such as the product's thickness or elasticity.

Examples of the “guide” that direct the product onto the spool so thateach layer is indexed, and partially overlaps the previous layer,include, but are not limited to, a mechanical guide, a loop, a bar, andany combinations thereof. An exemplary embodiment of a guide is aone-sided funnel that is mounted between the product roll and the spool,so that each layer of the product is offset a preset distance from theprevious layer, and so that direction of wrapping the indexed layers canbe reversed when the end of the spool is reached. A guide may also beused by the end user between the spool and the production line todispense the product.

Another benefit of using indexed layers is that the method provides moreair pockets between layers of the product for easy release duringdispensing. The partial, yet not complete, overlap of the indexed layersin each row provides a natural separation plane between adjacent layersthat reduces material-on-material friction, increasing the ease andrapidity of loading the product onto, and dispensing the product off of,the spool. The method also makes the layers of the product morecompressible on the spool. The present method eliminates the need insome conventional product packaging methods to place physical dividersbetween columns and rows of the product. The present method alsoeliminates the need for splices of the product within an individualspool, as required in some conventional packaging methods. The methodalso reduces the amount of stretching and/or tearing of the product thatcan be caused when one layer of product “sticks to” the adjacent layerbelow it, particularly when the layered materials are fibrous, and/orthe layers completely overlap and are compressed on each other bywrapping

The present method can be tailored to specific run lengths of thematerial or finished product that are customized for the end-user'sneeds. For example, using the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 1 to 6, thenumber of absorbent pads that are wound onto the finished spool can betailored to accommodate the production machinery of any given end-user(customer).

Another advantage of the present method is that dispensing the productby the end-user does not require a guide, since the material or productcan be drawn from the finished spool rapidly and easily, and the spoolcan function as a pivot point.

Because of the benefits of indexing each layer of material, the methodmaximizes the amount of the product that can be wound about thecircumference of the spool.

Also, if the end-user wishes to have a continuous feed of stock that ismore than a single finished spool, the “tail” of the product on onespool can be spliced to the “head” of the product on the next finishedspool, to provide greater continuity and longer duration of the threadof product supplied to the end-user's production line withoutinterruption.

Another advantage of finished spools produced by the present method isthe saving of floor space, both during transport and at or near theproduction lines of the end-user. The finished spools of the presentdisclosure eliminate the need for a large box or other container ofproducts that can take up a large amount of floor space during transportor the end-user's floor space. For end-users who have only a small areaor space between production lines, the finished spool produced by thepresent method can be mounted on the line itself, thus avoiding theproblem of conventional methods that require large amounts of spacebetween lines to position large source containers of the product.Shipping is easier as well, since little packing material is needed tosafely move the finished spools produced by the present method.

Because of the simplicity of the indexing used, the product can be woundonto the spool at high speeds. The method even permits a“wind-and-forget” process, such that “forget” means an almost automaticprocess that does not require constant monitoring.

The method can also include a floor-mounted, roll-away floor fixture onwhich to mount a spool. The spool would be fed over the current machinespindle to guide the thread of product into the machine. The floorfixture could mitigate the problem of the weight of the loaded spool,particularly if the spool were mounted away from the machine. This floorfixture can be integrated as a component in the present method, or canbe a separate component apart from the present method.

As used in this application, the word “about” for dimensions, weights,and other measures means a range that is ±10% of the stated value, morepreferably ±5% of the stated value, and most preferably ±1% of thestated value, including all subranges therebetween.

It should be understood that the foregoing description is onlyillustrative of the present disclosure. Various alternatives andmodifications can be devised by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the disclosure. Accordingly, the present disclosure isintended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variancesthat fall within the scope of the disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for packaging a continuous length of aproduct onto a spool comprising: dispensing the product onto the spoolwith a dispensing device to form a first layer of the product that iswrapped around the spool; indexing the product by an index distance thatis shifted in relation to the first layer; dispensing a second layer ofthe product onto the spool with the dispensing device to form an indexedlayer that partly overlaps the first layer, wherein the second layer isoffset in relation to the first layer by the index distance; dispensingone or more additional indexed layers of the product onto the spool,wherein each of the one or more additional indexed layers is offset fromthe immediate previous layer by the index distance, wherein the firstlayer, the second layer, and the one or more additional indexed layersof the product form a first horizontal row of the product along an axialextent of the spool.
 2. The method according to claim 1, furthercomprising: reversing the direction of the dispensing device when thefirst horizontal row of the product reaches a first end of the spool;and dispensing one or more indexed layers of the product onto the spoolin an opposite direction from the first horizontal row, to form a secondhorizontal row of product along the axial extent of the spool.
 3. Themethod according to claim 2, further comprising: reversing the directionof the dispensing device when the second horizontal row of the productreaches a second end of the spool opposite the first end of the spool;and dispensing one or more indexed layers of the product onto the spoolin an opposite direction from the second horizontal row, to form a thirdhorizontal row of the product along the axial extent of the spool. 4.The method according to claim 3, further comprising: repeating thereversing and the dispensing steps until the spool is loaded with acontinuous length of the product to form a finished spool having indexedlayers and horizontal rows of the product.
 5. The method according toclaim 1, wherein the dispensing device further comprises a guide thatdirects the product onto the spool, wherein the guide is selected fromthe group consisting of: loop, bar, funnel, and any combinationsthereof.
 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the indexed layersare formed by movement of the dispensing device, guide, and/or spool. 7.The method according to claim 5, wherein the size of the index distanceis established by the size of the movement of the dispensing device,guide, and/or spool.
 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein thesize of the index distance is from one-fifth of an inch (0.20″) to abouttwo inches (2″).
 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the axialextent of the spool is about 4 to about 6 times as wide across ascompared with the width of the product dispensed onto the spool.
 10. Themethod according to claim 1, wherein the indexed layers of the productare dispensed onto the spool at high production speeds.
 11. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the product is an absorbent food pad. 12.The method according to claim 1, further comprising a spindle on whichthe spool is mounted during dispensing of the product.
 13. The methodaccording to claim 1, further comprising a floor fixture on which thespool is mounted, wherein the floor fixture mitigates the weight of thespool and provides stability while dispensing the product onto thespool.
 14. A spool for packaging a continuous length of a product,comprising: a removable hollow spool; and a continuous length of theproduct that is wound around the spool in indexed layers that form oneor more horizontal rows of the product along an axial extent of thespool.